Friday, October 2
Houston, Texas
8 p.m.
West Virginia University
7-1-2, 2-1-1
2
at
0
Houston
7-2-3, 3-1-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 |
West Virginia Secures Big 12 Road Win at Houston
October 02, 2026 10:36 PM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 18-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team capped a three-game road stretch with a 2-0 win over Houston at the Carl Lewis International Complex in Houston, Texas, on Friday night.
Junior forward/defender Sophia Nickel was the hero once again for the Mountaineers (7-1-2, 2-1-1 Big 12), scoring her fifth game-winning goal of the season. Senior defender Olivia Shertzer also scored in the match, helping West Virginia hand Houston its first Big 12 Conference loss of the season.
After a scoreless first half, West Virginia finally found its breakthrough in the 63rd minute from none other than Nickel, who took a ball from senior forward Abbey Olexa from the top of the box and sent a long ball in for the score. The Golden, Colorado, native now extends her team lead in goals and points this season with five goals and 11 points.
Just 10 minutes later, Shertzer doubled the Mountaineer lead with a fantastic long-range strike at the 72:11 mark. The score was her second of the season, as both goals have come from distance for the Lititz, Pennsylvania, native this year.
The final box score showed Houston leading 17-13 in shots, while West Virginia led 9-5 in shots on goal. WVU also earned six corner kicks and held the Cougars to just one. Shertzer and Olexa led with three shots apiece. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth and the Mountaineer defense secured their fifth of the year and second straight clean sheet in the win.
Additionally, West Virginia improves to 3-1 all-time against Houston.
After three games on the road, West Virginia finally returns to Morgantown for a three-game homestand. The stint begins on Thursday, Oct. 8, for a match against BYU at 7 p.m. ET. It's WVU's annual pink game for breast cancer awareness, and all fans are encouraged to wear pink.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Junior forward/defender Sophia Nickel was the hero once again for the Mountaineers (7-1-2, 2-1-1 Big 12), scoring her fifth game-winning goal of the season. Senior defender Olivia Shertzer also scored in the match, helping West Virginia hand Houston its first Big 12 Conference loss of the season.
After a scoreless first half, West Virginia finally found its breakthrough in the 63rd minute from none other than Nickel, who took a ball from senior forward Abbey Olexa from the top of the box and sent a long ball in for the score. The Golden, Colorado, native now extends her team lead in goals and points this season with five goals and 11 points.
Just 10 minutes later, Shertzer doubled the Mountaineer lead with a fantastic long-range strike at the 72:11 mark. The score was her second of the season, as both goals have come from distance for the Lititz, Pennsylvania, native this year.
The final box score showed Houston leading 17-13 in shots, while West Virginia led 9-5 in shots on goal. WVU also earned six corner kicks and held the Cougars to just one. Shertzer and Olexa led with three shots apiece. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Bailey Herfurth and the Mountaineer defense secured their fifth of the year and second straight clean sheet in the win.
Additionally, West Virginia improves to 3-1 all-time against Houston.
After three games on the road, West Virginia finally returns to Morgantown for a three-game homestand. The stint begins on Thursday, Oct. 8, for a match against BYU at 7 p.m. ET. It's WVU's annual pink game for breast cancer awareness, and all fans are encouraged to wear pink.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Women's Soccer
F/D
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's SoccerTeam Stats
WVU
HOU
Goals
2
0
Shots
13
17
Shots on Goal
9
5
Saves
5
7
Corners
6
1
Fouls
4
0
Scoring Plays
Sophia Nickel (5)
Assisted By: Abbey Olexa , Olivia Shertzer
GOAL by WVU Nickel, Sophia Assist by Olexa, Abbey and Shertzer, Olivia.
62:54
Olivia Shertzer (2)
GOAL by WVU Shertzer, Olivia.
72:11
Game Leaders
Shots
3
SOG
3
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
3
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
mid
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
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